gelson oliveira & luiz ewerling: terra
Francisco Espregueira
We travel back in time, more specifically to 1983, to present Gelson Oliveira, Luiz Ewerling and the album Terra, now reissued by Lisbon's Mad About Records - a label which work is truly invaluable, dedicated to reissuing projects that are timeless but 'lost in time'. Terra was the debut LP of the influential Gaúcho musician Gelson Oliveira in partnership with drummer Luiz Ewerling. The album was released independently in 1983, with access to minimal resources. None of that influenced the quality, the musicality and the magic present in nine tracks, mixing Brasilidade with sounds ranging from jazz, to funk, to fusion.
On Terra, the percussion is ubiquitous and varied. Ewerling surprises in all sections, invariably finding spaces to break free from the conventional. Gelson Oliveira, on vocals and acoustic guitar, fills the LP with a special soul, telling stories that puts us with a smile, with a voice that makes us want to sing with him. The production, which has valuable contributions from other musicians, makes this album unique. Terra sounds like samba, like soul music, like a psychedelic trip - taking us to an intersection between the 70s and 80s, somewhere in southern Brazil, with a smiling nostalgia. This rare piece, from Brazil's vast musical heritage, is now re-released for the first time from the original tape. It is available on vinyl and digital, courtesy of Mad About Records.